Will Princess Kate Middleton be making her annual appearance at Wimbledon? The public outing is still a possibility for the Princess of Wales.
The tennis tournament is giving Kate, 42, “as much flexibility as possible” as she continues cancer treatments, the All England Club chair Debbie Jevans told Telegraph Sport on Wednesday, June 27.
The Wimbledon tennis tournament hosted in London runs from Monday, July 1, to Sunday, July 14. As a patron of the All England Club — a diverse and inclusive organization that confronts and eliminates discrimination — Kate is a regular fixture at Wimbledon and presents the trophies each year.
Since it’s still unclear if the princess plans to attend Wimbledon, the decision about presenting the trophies could be made last minute, the Telegraph speculated. The publication even wrote that the decision could be delayed until the morning of the finals.
Kate previously hinted at joining “a few public engagements over the summer” in a statement released on June 14, in which she offered a major health update alongside a new photo. Kate made it clear that she’s “not out of the woods yet” in terms of her health, as well.
On March 22, Kate announced that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer and was undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment. Following the news, she’s stayed largely out of the public eye, only returning for Trooping the Colour earlier this month.
“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty,” Kate’s statement on June 14 continued. “Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal. Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”
As Kate continues treatment — the princess revealed that it will be ongoing for “a few more months” — she is “starting to do a little work from home.”
Questions about Kate’s return to public duty have risen in the past few months. Aside from Kate’s official statement earlier this month, Kensington Palace said late last month the princess “needs the space and the privacy to recover right now,” offering no timeline for her return.
“She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors,” the palace added.
A source exclusively told Us Weekly in early June that Kate “may never come back in the role that people saw her in before” due to her health struggles. Her team is “reevaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back.”
